BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Jimmy Williams was the first coach that Garrick McGee hired when he took the job at UAB.

Now, he's looking at Williams to help turn things around at the school.

UAB is off to a 1-4 start, 4-13 in McGee's tenure, but the defense's yards allowed (481) and points allowed (41.4) rank in the bottom 10 nationally. McGee demoted Reggie Johnson from defensive coordinator and put Williams in that same spot.

"He'll be very demanding and he'll be very good at communicating with the kids, getting them to understand the plan and transfer what we practice and get them to do the right things on game day," McGee said.

Williams was previously a defensive coordinator at the University of Buffalo, last filling that role in 2008. He's still the assistant head coach, but now Williams is coordinating the defense, coming up with the game plan and enacting it on the field.

Williams said he would continue to coach from the sideline.

"We're where we should be at this stage of the week and that's what we're always trying to gauge - are we on track at this particular time and I think we are," Williams said.

"For the linebackers, it hasn't been too different because we work with him every day," Bastien said. "He brings a lot of intensity and he's an NFL guy. It was about taking it to the rest of the defense. The safeties know how we work now.

"It's been going a lot better and I think everybody's going to see that on Saturday."

Williams played for 12 seasons in the NFL. White said his passion has carried over to the defense like McGee's has to the offense.

"As a defense overall, I think he brings more energy," White said. "He's a little tougher, old-school, similar to Coach McGee and how he works with the offense so I think it's good for us."

It's gut-check time for UAB, which can't afford to lose another game. Especially to an FIU team that's last in the country in total offense at 188.2 yards per game.

"We just have to do a better job, myself included," White said. "I have to lead these guys better and get them to understand that this is a crucial time and we've got to get it done now."